Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund (that nation’s Permanent Fund) is looking at an Alaska investment, Alaska Dispatch publisher and Anchorage Daily News owner (after May 5) Alice Roghoff told an Alaska World Affairs luncheon May 2. Roghoff was speaking on Arctic issues with former Lt. Gov. Fran Ulmer, who is chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Council.

Roghoff, a businesswoman, has been active on Arctic issues for years and is the co-founder of Arctic Circle, a private nonprofit that hosts seminars and conferences on matters affecting Arctic nations including the U.S. Her message May 2 was that there is a woeful lack of infrastructure on the western Alaska coasts to respond to emergencies from increased shipping–oil spills, vessel, crew and passenger emergencies, and the region needs new investment in docks and other facilities.

Former state attorney general John Havelock asked Roghoff if rising sea levels might put many coastal port facilities in coastal villages under water in a few decades. Roghoff agreed that might happen.

Alaska, or the U.S., will have little influence on increasing use of Russia’s Northern Sea Route, which is under Russian control, Rogoff said. Russian government officials are putting a priority on promoting the sea route. Meanwhile, some major shipping nations, notably China, are exploring use of the “central” Arctic route directly across polar sea near the North Pole. This region is increasingly available because of melting sea ice. Chinese shipping companies are now working with Iceland, at the European end of the central route, on developing a transshipment facility, Roghoff said.

Fran Ulmer warned the group that the Russia-U.S. freeze in relations over Ukraine has led to a cessation of virtually all contacts across the Alaska-Russia border including scientific research.